Garment hanger



A. .1; LONG GARMENT HANGER Sept. 14, 1954 Filed May 17, 1952 INVENTOR. 140mm d [any Patented Sept. 14, 1954 UNITED STATES GARMENT HANGER Anthony J Long, Kansas City, Mo.

Application May 17, 1952, Serial No. 288,445

1 Claim.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in garment hangers, and has particular reference to. a garment hanger adapted for use in connection with auditorium type seating. The inconvenience and discomfort of holding ones coat and hat when seated in theaters, churches, auditoriums, and the like is of course well known, and various types of garment holders, hangers, and receptacles have been proposed for attachment to or association with this type of seating. All of these within my knowledge are subject to such objections as large expense, complicated structure, large consumption of space, rumpling of. clothing supported thereby, and the like.

The principal object of the present invention is the provision of a garment hanger adapted to be mounted on the rear surface of the back rest of a chair, and to project only a minimum distance rearwardly from said chair so as not to interfere with the passage of persons behind the chair.

Another object is the provision of a garment hanger of the class described which normally lies substantially flat against the chair back when not in use, and which when in use projects rearwardly from the chair back a minimum distance, determined by the weight or thickness of the particular garment being supported.

A still further object is the provision of a garment hanger of the character described which will return automatically to its inoperative position against the chair back whenever garments are removed therefrom.

Other objects are simplicity and economy of construction, efficiency and dependability of operation, quietness of operation, and adaptability for use in a wide variety of applications.

With these objects in View, as well as other objects which will appear in the course of the specification, reference will be had to the drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a garment hanger embodying the present invention, shown in an operative position and mounted on the back rest of a chair.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the hanger, shown in its inoperative position.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section taken on line III-III of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view similar to Fig. 3, showing the outer parallelogram connections with the hanger in an operative position.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on line VV of Fig. 2.

ATENT OFFICE Like reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views, and the numeral 2 applies to the back rest of an auditorium-type chair, shown fragmentarily. A mounting plate 4 is firmly attached. to the rearward surface of.

said back rest, as by screws 6. An arm 8 is pivoted at one end to said plate, said arm being formed of sheet material and having inturned flanges I 4 along, its longitudinal edges, said flanges being pivotally connected by pin I2 to out-turned ears l4 formed. by plate 4. Pin I2 is horizontal and parallel to back rest 2, and spaced outwardly therefrom. A second arm I6, also formed of sheet material, has out-turned flanges I8 connected to ears 2!? of plate 4 by pivot pins 22. Pins 22 are coaxial, and are spaced above and parallel to pin I2, and at the same distance from back rest 2 as pin I2. It will be noted that arm I6 is wider than arm 6, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 5, so that arm 8 may be received within arm I6 as the two are pivoted upwardly to be substantially against back rest 2.

An upright 24 of substantially planar form is attached at its lower end to the outer ends of arms 8 and I6, respectively by pivot pins 26 and 2S. Pins 26 and 28 are parallel to each other and to pivot pins I2 and 22, and arms 8 and I6 are parallel and of equal lengths. Mounting plate 4, arms 8 and I6, and upright 24 thus constitute a parallelogram linkage whereby upright 24 is maintained at all times parallel to back rest 2, as shown. Upright 24 is hollow, and a coil spring 34 is disposed therein about pivot pin 28. One extending end portion 32 is secured to the inner wall of upright 24, as by keeper 34. The other end portion 3 6 of said spring is secured to the lower surface of arm I6, as by keeper 38. The spring is so stressed that the end portions 32 and 36 thereof are urged resiliently together, thereby tending to lessen the angle between arm I6 and. the extension of upright 24 below pivot pin 28. Fixed to the upper end of upright 24 is a flat spring member 40, the upper end of which is formed to present an upwardly convex head 42. A. spring clip 44 suitably shaped to engage head 42 is secured to back rest 2 by screws 46.

In operation, upright 24 and arms 8 and I6 are normally held in approximately coplanar linear relation substantially flat against back rest 2, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 5, by the action of spring 30. The engagement of clip 44 with head 42 further secures the hanger in its inoperative position. When it is desired to use the hanger, head 42 is manually freed from clip 44 and upright 24 is pressed downwardly and rearwardly, to the position shown in Fig. 1. The coat or other 3 garment is then draped across arm [6, and upright 24 is released. Spring 30 then urges arms 8 and I6 pivotally upwardly until the garment is gripped firmly between upright 24 and back rest 2. The degree to which arms 8 and I6 pivot upwardly, and hence the final spacing of upright 24 from the back rest, depends entirely on the thickness of the garment supported, and will be inoperative position as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 5. As upright 24 approaches this position, head 42 is engaged frictionally by clip 44. Clip 44 is so 3 positioned that the movement of upright 24 and arm I6 is arrested just before these members contact back rest 2, preserving a slight spacing therebetween as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. This prevents the loud slapping noise which would otherwise result, and which would of course be highly objectionable in the places in which it is intended the device should be used.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my invention, it is quite apparent that many minor changes of construction and operation could be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

A garment hanger for use in connection with auditorium-type seating comprising a mounting plate adapted to be secured to the back rest of a chair, a pair of parallel, vertically spaced arms each pivoted at one end to said mounting plate on a horizontal axis parallel to said back rest, an upright to the lower end portion of which the opposite ends of said arms are pivotally connected. said upright being thereby maintained parallel to said back rest, means resiliently urging said arms pivotally upwardly whereby said arms and said upright are urged toward a coplanar relation parallel to and substantially against said back rest, a spring member secured to the upper end of said upright and extending upwardly therefrom to serve as a hat rack, and a spring clip adapted to be secured to said back rest and positioned to engage said hat rack member releasably to secure said upright and arms in slightly spaced apart relation from said back rest.

References Citedin thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 407,409 Lucas July 23, 1889 608,259 Heverley Aug. 2, 1898 621,823 Kirschbaum Mar. 28, 1899 1,284,776 Richard 1 Nov. 12, 1918 1,318,815 Stankee Oct. 14, 1919 1,686,341 Nathanson Oct. 2, 1928 1,888.253 Adler Nov. 22,1932 2,494,798 Dobkin Jan. 17, 1950 

